Fishplate



Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,507

M. w. P. McNAMARA FI SH PLATE Filed May 25, 1928 Patented Jan. 29,1929.,

any

@ETC

rrsnrnnfrn.

Application led May 25, 19538.

This invention relates to improvements in means for joining andconnecting rails, and has for its object the provision of a device ofthe character described, whereby amore effective joining of rails may beobtai ed.

further object of the invention to provide animproved fish plateconnection between railsI such as are used in railroad and similarconstruction7 in conjunction with means 'for permitting the usual ez:oansion and contraction to which there members are subject-ed, due tochanges in atmospheric temperature.

'ther objects and advantagesof the` invention will appear' more fully inthe hereinafter speciiication when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which7 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of theinvention applied to the meeting ends of two railroad l rails;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the adjacent female plateremoved to show the form of apertures in the web of the rails adapted toallow for expansion and contraction;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a perspective view of the female fish plate member; n

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the male sh plate member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings which illustrate thepreferred embodiment of the invention, and in which similar figures ofreference are applied to like parts in the various views, a male fishplate mem- `ber 10 is provided with laterally extending perforatedbosses 11 adapted to be received by apertures 12 in a female fish platemember 13. rllhe web of each rail end is provided with longitudinallyelongated apertures 14 which are adapted to register with apertures 12in the female member 13, and the purpose in making the apertures 14 ofgreater length than the diameter of the bosses 11, as shown, is to allowfor relative movementbetween the rail ends and the fish platesnecessitated by the normal expansion and contraction due to temperaturechanges. An eective joining of the respect-ive parts is made by applyingthe male member 10 upon one side of the ends of a pair of'rails with thebosses 11 extending through kregistering apertures lll is the web of therail. The female member 13 is then applied to the oppositeside of therail with the bosses 11 projecting into respecserial no. 28ans.

tive apertures The assembly is then secured by bolts foratcr;1 bosses11, and upon which are .screw tln'ea ded nuts 1G' whereby the male andfemale sh plates and e neequently the rails are at the saine time havingprovision or contraction as vision for n may occur. j f

rlhe novel type of fish plate el'ectuates a more rieid conjunction ofrails as l`rdinarily used in street-par or railroad ser ice. The bossesare preferably slightly tapered in order to' obtain a wedging effect atthe point of application to the rail. As is obvious from an inspectionof the plates, their application is simple operation and requires nomore time or skill than in applying fish plates of the conventionaltype.

lli/while l have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the preciseconstruction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variationsand modifications as come within vthe scope ofthe appended claims.

' Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. rlhe combination with abutting rail ends of a fish plate comprising`a male member having a plurality of bolt receiving tapered bosses; saidbosses being adapted to enter registering holes in the web of a rail; afemale lish plate member adapted to coact with said male sh platemen'iber in connecting said rail ends together; and means for permittingrelative movement between said rail ends and said'fish plate members toallow for eXpansion and contraction.

2. The combination with abutting rail ends of a male fish plate memberhaving a plurality of integral bolt receiving tapered bosses; said malelish plate member adapted to register and coact wedginglywith a femalefish plate member; and means for permitting relative movement betweensai-d rail ends and said fish plate members to allow for expansion andcontraction.

3. The combination with abutting rail ends of a ish plate comprising amale member having a plurality of bolt receiving tapered bosses; saidbosses being adapted to enter registering holes in the web of a rail; afemale 15 wnich extend through perfish plate member adapted to coactwith said male fish plate member for connecting said rail ends in awedging manner; said rail web holes being` elongated to permit relativemovement between the rails and ish plate members due to expansion andcontraction.

t. The combination with abutting` rail ends of a. male fish plate memberhaving` a plurality of integral bolt receiving,` tapered bosses; saidmale iish plate member being` adapted to register and coact wedginglywith a female iish plate member; longitudinally elongated apertures insaid rail ends adapted to receive said tapered bosses and permitrelative movement between the rail ends and the iish plate i members dueto expansion and contraction.

5. The combination with abutting rail ends of a device for joining saidVends together comprising a male iish plate having a plurality of spacedperforated tapered bosses; a female lish plate having, a plurality otspaced boss receiving perfor-ations; a plurality of boss receiving`apertures in said rail ends;

said b sses and perforations being` adapted to receive bolts passedtherethrough whereby the rail ends may be joined together; and means forpermitting relative movement between said rail ends and said iish platemembers 'due to expansion and contraction.

6. rlhe combination with abutting rail ends of a device for 'joiningsaid ends together comprising a male iish plate having a plurality ofspaced perforated tapered bosses; a liemale ish plate having` aplurality of spaced' boss receiving` pertorations; said bosses andperforations beine` adapted to receive bolts passed therethrough wherebyrails may be joinei` together; said railends being provided withelongated boss receiving apertures perml ing?y relative movement'between said rail ends and said iish plate meinbe to allow forexpansion and lcontraction.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this speciiication.

Mier-niiet w. r. MCNAMARA.

